An RFID tag includes an integrated circuit (IC) chip and an antenna, in which the IC chip operates by electromagnetic waves received through the antenna. The IC chip includes a memory that stores, for example, specific ID information in the RFID tag, and the ID information may be used for management of an article to which the RFID tag is adhered or the like. The IC chip and the antenna of the RFID tag are sealed and protected by an exterior material.
Recently, the RFID tag has been adhered to various objects to be managed. The RFID tag has been also adhered to objects to be managed and washed such as, for example, suits which include, for example, uniforms that employees in lodging facilities or amusement facilities wear, sheets, and pillow covers. In this case, the objects to be managed (e.g., suits, sheets, and pillow covers) are formed of a flexible material such as, for example, fabric and required to provide a soft touch when a person touches the RFID tag as in a case where a person touches, for example, fabric. For this reason, an RFID tag having elasticity is used. Such an RFID tag may be sewn on, for example, a cloth or a sheet or may be inserted into or adhered to, for example, a pocket with a flap.
The objects to be managed and washed are sent from, for example, multiple requesting parties to a large-scale laundry plant to be subject to the processes such as, for example, washing, drying, ironing, and folding of the laundry, and then, delivered to respective requesting customers such as lodging facilities or amusement facilities, based on the ID information stored in the RFID tag. Especially, in a drying process which performs, for example, 60-bar pressure drying or an ironing process which uses a roll iron, a large load is applied to an object to be managed such as, for example, a sheet from the outside so as to deform the RFID tag. Thus, these processes are harsh environments for the RFID tag. The deformation of the RFID tag includes, for example, bending, warping, twisting, tension, and compression.
As an example of the RFID tag, an area on a substrate having elasticity is coated with an adhesive harder than the substrate, and the IC chip is adhered to the area of the adhesive. The antenna of the RFID tag is electrically coupled to the IC chip by the adhesive. Even when the RFID tag is deformed by a load applied from the outside, the area of the adhesive is hardly deformed so that the IC chip adhered onto the area may be protected. However, the substrate is deformed at the edge of the area of the adhesive as a result of the deformation of the RFID tag. Accordingly, a tensile stress is applied to the surface of the antenna, and the deformation of the RFID tag is repeated so that the antenna may be broken at the edge of the area of the adhesive.
Conventionally, when the RFID tag is deformed, the antenna may be broken at the edge of the adhesive area on the substrate.
The followings are reference documents.    [Document 1] Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2013-222411 and    [Document 2] Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2007-101285.